Samuel Instone

Samuel Instone

Sir Samuel Instone (1878 – 1937) was a shipping and aviation entrepreneur and the founder of the Instone Air Line. Born in Gravesend, Kent, he came to Cardiff in Wales in 1908 to work for a shipping company as a manager. With his brother, Theodore Instone, he went into business as a coal factor in 1908, and in 1914 bought the ship, Collivaud from Morels. After World War I, the brothers owned ten vessels shipping coal from the South Wales valleys. It was during this period that Samuel diversified into coal mining with the acquisition of the Bedwas colliery.

In 1919 Instone Air Line was set up by Samuel along with another brother Alfred, and started an air route from Cardiff to Paris. Due to the depression of the 1920's Samuel saw his shipping interests wane, and by 1925 the last of his ships were sold.

In 1921 Samuel was knighted, and as Sir Samuel Instone he represented the Chamber of Shipping at Air Conferences in England and the International Chamber of Commerce at the League of Nations, Geneva.

Points of interest

On August 19, 1920, Sir Samuel Instone had a telephone conversation from his home in London to a passenger on a flight destined for Paris. This call to a Vickersaeroplane is thought to be the first telephone call to an inflight aircraft.

In 1922 Frank Barnard, chief pilot of Instone Air Line won the first King's Cup Race. Sir Instone on a visit to Bedwas Colliery brought with him the trophey and it was allowed to be displayed in one of the local shop's window.